Bridging the Gap: Exploring the Science and AI Needs of Civilians Navigating Wildfire Risk Management and Evacuation Planning in the Sierras

How do we motivate residents to take protective action in advance of and during a wildfire? We conducted case studies of two communities in Nevada County, California that were navigating community risk reduction and evacuation planning in their unique contexts over two summers. In summer 2021, we conducted over 75 interviews with more than 100 residents and professionals about their wildfire adaptation and decision-making concerns and what wildfire science, technology, information, and/or artificial intelligence they needed to better take protective action on their properties and in their communities prior to and during a wildfire event. In 2022, the research team returned and conducted three workshops for (1) You Bet community members, (2) Alta Sierra community members, and (3) professionals serving either or both community. The workshops focused on the three foci that emerged during the 2021 interviews across both communities: (a) fire breaks and fuels modeling, (b) evacuation modeling and dynamics, and (c) temporary refuge areas and areas of last resort. Experts in the field on each topic were invited to engage in questions and answers with workshop attendees while the research team facilitated. During the workshops, participants were divided into small groups and visited each station (1-3) and spend time with each subject matter expert or team. Discussions at each stations revolved around the state of the science on the topic, the limitations of the related science or approaches applicability to the specific contexts or concerns of the attendees, and what changes science needed to make in order for the information to be useful to and impact their wildfire risk reduction decision-making. At the end of the workshop, the groups debriefed and individuals filled out a brief survey about their primary interests and goals for fostering community adaptation and progress around the different concern areas. This presentation will summarize the technology and fire science-related findings from both summers of data collection, highlight areas presenting barriers to science and technology usefulness for the public and/or managers in our study area, and provide recommendations on how to make science in these three fields more useful to civilians and practioners.